Little L and the Locket
by Loyal Subject
Summary: Ever wonder what L was like as a child? See the young detective solve a simple mystery and find out how he picked up some of his habits we know and love.
1. Missing

_Well after doing a Monk, Psych, Death Note fan fiction cross over, I began to think what L's past was like. After seeing similarities between Adrian Monk and L Lawliet, I began to remember the episode "Mr. Monk and Little Monk". It was then that I thought "I wonder if L's childhood was similar to this. A little detective running around solving simple mysteries and along the way picking up the habits that we all know and love". So I decided to write this fan fiction which is heavily influenced on the episode "Mr. Monk and Little Monk". I must warn you though, I am working on something else as well so new chapters may not come for a while but I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

_**Little L and the Locket**_

**Chapter One: Missing**

It was spring. The flowers were just beginning to bloom and the long April rain had finally come to an end. Children of different ages ran around the wet grass, playing and laughing gaily on the Wammy's House estate. A small boy of about ten with black hair that stuck out in multiple directions was sitting on the swing. Just sitting. He didn't really see the point of swinging. The boy saw the swing as a place to think and gather his thoughts. No one dared to bother him while he sat on the swing. Today, however, was one of those days when the boy felt like mingling with the other children of the orphanage. For some reason, the boy did not want to ask to join the games. Instead, he looked on, hoping that one of the children would invite him to a game of soccer, tag, or even jump rope.

"Who's that?" one of the children asked another as they played a game of soccer. This girl was about the same age as the boy sitting on the swing however she had just arrived at the orphanage.

"That's L. He always sits there," the other girl answered.

"L? Is that really his name?" the first one asked. The second girl nodded. "Does he always sit there? That's kind of strange don't you think?"

"Be quiet! He can hear you!" the second girl said and she was right on the money as the boy, L, shifted his gaze away from the two girls. "Don't make fun of him, Estelle. He's very intelligent."

"Isn't everyone at this orphanage intelligent?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Whatever you say Mary Jane," Estelle replied. The two girls decided to stop talking and continued to participate in the game. Little L changed his gaze back on the game of soccer. He soon became bored with watching pointlessly as he knew he would not be invited to play and looked up at the sky. To his disappointment, it looked like it was going to rain again. He guessed it was just one of those years where spring seemed to be coming only to be stopped shortly after. As some kids he once knew, back when he was not an orphan, would say the groundhog "saw his shadow". Or was it he did not see his shadow? L never really understood that train of thought. It just did not make sense to him. Completely illogical it was. The reason why it was cloudy and it seemed as though spring would never come was because of the weather patterns not because of some groundhog.

L decided it was pointless to continue sitting outside and watching the other children have fun. He rose from his seat on the swing and began to walk towards the orphanage. Only seconds after he left his seat did other children begin to fight for it. To them it was a miracle that he had gotten off in the first place. L could spend hours on sunny summer days just thinking. Of course there were other swings but the other children did not dare to sit next to L. He was just one of those children that gave off bad vibes, vibes that told others to stay away.

L walked down the deserted halls of the Wammy's House. Not even the adults seemed to be around. Was everyone trying to enjoy one of the first beautiful days of spring before the rain would return?

The sound of footsteps could be heard coming from down the hall. L turned around to find a man in his sixties or seventies walking towards him. He wore a black, Vavra Italian Suit and small square spectacles. The man stopped as he noticed the little boy standing all alone in the center of the hallway.

"L?" the man said, wondering what the boy was doing inside. L looked up at the man, thinking for a moment.

"Hello Mr. Wammy," L finally said.

"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't you be outside with everyone else?" Mr. Wammy asked. L just shrugged as he did not want to answer that particular question. Mr. Wammy stared down at the little boy for a moment wondering what could possibly be going through his small but productive mind. He sighed and patted the boy's spiky hair only to continue down the hall leaving L alone once again.

L continued to wander aimlessly down the corridors, hoping to find an abandoned puzzle, a book he had never read, or anything of that sort. However to his dismay he could not find anything to occupy himself with. He never liked it when he had nothing to do or when he had nothing to think about. It caused too many painful memories to manifest itself into his mind once more.

The sound of distant thunder caused L to jump in place. He looked up at one of the windows and saw a streak of lightning flash across the sky. Soon afterward, the pitter patter of rain began to hit the windows. Screams of children could be heard just outside the Wammy House as they raced inside to avoid the rain as much as possible. Some laughed with delight while others looked down at their wet clothes in disgust. The sound of wet squeaky shoes echoed throughout the corridors as the children of the Wammy House rushed to change into dry clothes before supper. Since L had no need to change out of his attire, a simple white shirt with jeans and Converse sneakers, he decided to head down to the dining hall.

When he finally reached the dining hall, L found each of the long tables to be empty. Not a soul was there except him. L took his usual seat, at the end of the first table, and sat down, his feet kicking underneath the seat. It was perhaps a half hour or so before more children began to fill the large room. He did not bother to look up at anyone of them since no one ever sat next to him. L would often hear other conversations going on around him but never bothered to participate in any of them himself.

"Is this seat taken?" he heard someone ask. L looked up even though he was pretty sure that question was not directed to him. To his surprise, it was. Mary Jane and Estelle were standing in front of him. For a moment, L had no idea what to say. He had never been asked this sort of question before. He finally shook his head and the two girls took a seat next to him. One of his first thoughts was why they were bothering to sit there. Mary Jane normally sat at the table in front of him, towards the front of the room.

The two girls began to chatter amongst themselves while L sat there looking down at his empty plate. He wondered when dinner would be over so he could leave. He did not like being in such close contact with people or perhaps it was because he simply was not used to it. Either way, he felt uncomfortable sitting next to the two girls.

Dinner was served rather quickly luckily for L. However, L continued to stare at the plate full of food, waiting for dessert.

"Aren't you hungry, L?" Mary Jane asked looking at his plentiful plate. L nodded in the affirmative to answer her question. It felt like his mouth had been taped shut and no matter how much he wanted, words would not come out of his mouth. "Then why don't you eat?" she asked.

"I only eat dessert," L answered. Finally, he was able to speak.

"Isn't that unhealthy?" Estelle chimed in. L shrugged at this question.

"I can't think properly without it," L replied.

"But won't you get fat?" Mary Jane asked.

"I haven't yet."

"You must have a high metabolism," Estelle concluded.

"Perhaps," L said.

"Well they say sweets are the foods of love," Estelle giggled. L raised an eyebrow at this statement. Why did it seem like all girls talked about was "love"? It did not make much sense to him.

"But so are fruits and vegetables," Mary Jane said.

"That is only if you believe in witchcraft," L said, "It isn't real nor is it logical."

"We're just having a bit of fun," Estelle said, slightly glaring.

"Yes, of course. I'm sorry," L apologized.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Mary Jane said, "This is Estelle. She's new."

"I know," L replied, "Estelle plays the violin."

"How did you know that?" Estelle asked.

"You have a callous and rosin residue on your finger. The rosin is used for the bows of a violin," L said as he pointed to Estelle's finger. Estelle immediately began to examine her finger to see if L had been right even though she knew he must have.

The rest of dinner, or rather dessert was eaten in silence amongst the three. Mary Jane frowned the entire time as she watched L gobble down his strawberry shortcake. Once when dessert was over, Mary Jane, along with Estelle, and L went their separate ways.

L made his way past the other children at the orphanage and towards his own room. When he opened the door, no one else was there. He was glad. He never really liked sharing a room with another person to begin with. His roommate, Carlisle, never really talked to him anyway, just like everyone else in the Wammy House.

L walked towards his twin size bed with a simple blue comforter and lied down. He looked up at the ceiling in his dark room. He never seemed to mind the dark considering the countless hours he had spent lying awake, thinking. He always went to sleep late ever since he first arrived at the Wammy House. Ever since...

L looked up as he heard a knock at the door. He rose from his bed and walked to his door. Upon opening the door, Mary Jane stood, crying her eyes out. Estelle was next to her, trying to offer some comfort. L stood there for a moment, not exactly sure what to say. Compassion towards others was not very easy for him to do.

"What's wrong?" L finally asked.

"Someone took Mary Jane's locket from her room," Estelle said. L continued to stare, not sure what was so special about some necklace. "Her mom gave it to her," Estelle clued L in as she noticed his expression. L placed his finger to his lips and began to think.

"When was the last time you saw it?" L asked.

"Before we went to dinner," Mary Jane sobbed. L tried to recollect his memories of dinner that night. Who was there? Who wasn't? Did anyone leave at some point during dinner? More importantly, did anyone keep an eye on Mary Jane to make sure she was indeed at dinner?

"...It was Brutus..." L finally said.

"How do you know?" Estelle asked.

"I remember he left just before dessert. He never misses dessert and he came back to retrieve his missed dessert just as we were leaving. We have to go and find him," L said as he was already walking down the hallway.

"Why?" Estelle asked.

"We might catch him hiding the locket. My guess is he still had the locket in his pocket when we left him in the dining hall," L said. L continued to walk towards Brutus' room with Estelle and Mary Jane following close behind.


	2. Brutus

_Well I was very happy with all the reviews I received and I would just like to say thank you! Please continue to give me reviews and if you have any constructive criticism I would appreciate it. Enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter Two: Brutus**

L knocked on the door to Brutus' room. There was no answer. He waited a moment but there was still no answer. Finally, L opened the door to find an empty room. He walked in, observing the outline of the room. Now, where would he hide a locket if he were Brutus?

Mary Jane and Estelle stayed behind, as though there was an invisible force that would not allow them to pass. L noticed this but did not mind. He simply looked around, hoping to spot a good hiding place for a locket.

"Keep watch," L finally said, their stillness annoying him. The two girls nodded and walked down the hall.

L began to search the room once more. At the same time the machines in his head began to turn. Why would Brutus want to steal something of such little value to him? What could he possibly gain? There simply was no motive.

L made his way towards the beds. He wasn't sure which one was Brutus' so he began to lift up the mattresses to each one. Mattresses were one of the main hiding places in a household. L lifted one of the mattresses to find a small gold object lying next to about two pounds.

Just as L was about to grab the locket, he heard footsteps from down the hall. He paused for a moment and decided to leave the locket where it was. After putting the mattress down, L sped for the door to Brutus' room but he was too late. Brutus, along with two of his companions, was blocking the exit.

"Oy, what the bloody hell are you doing in my room?" Brutus asked as he towered over L. L looked up at the tall fifteen year old showing no fear.

"I'm looking for the locket you stole from Mary Jane," L answered simply. Brutus' almond eyes immediately flashed with anger. His two companions, Chester and Charlie, grinned slightly just to rub it in their leader's face.

"I didn't steal any locket," Brutus snapped.

"I'm ninety nine percent sure you did," L replied coolly.

"What did you say shrimp!" Brutus yelled furiously as he grabbed L's shirt by the collar. L made no motion to break free from Brutus' grip.

"That's jumbo shrimp to you!" L yelled back. He was surprised at himself for raising his voice so loudly.

"L is an oxymoron?" Charlie said as he turned to Chester who just simply shrugged off the question.

"Why you!" Brutus shouted, his face turning bright red with anger. L remained as still as possible, awaiting his fate. Brutus dragged L out of his room and down the hall. He stopped in front of one of the cupboards that were located all over the Wammy House. Brutus opened the door and he, along with his two comrades, hoisted L to one of the upper shelves. Before L had any time to get down, Brutus slammed the cupboard door shut leaving him in complete darkness. He heard Brutus place something in front of the door so he could not escape followed by footsteps as they left him in his predicament.

L placed his knees close to his body so they would not dangle in mid air. So much for Mary Jane and Estelle keeping watch for him. He wondered where they had wandered off to anyway. Now he would have to try and figure out where Brutus would re-hide the locket. There was no doubt he would move it to a new location now that he knew L was onto him. But where was the question.

L began to suck his thumb in the darkness of the cupboard just as he used to before the other children at the orphanage began to criticize him for it. It pacified him as well as helped him to think. However, he had to change his methods of thinking by simply placing his finger close to his lips in order to avoid ridicule. But now there was no one to mock him of his thinking methods so he did as he pleased.

As L continued to think about where this locket would be moved to he wondered what time it was. To the best of his abilities, he figured about ten o' clock in the evening maybe even eleven. L used the top of his knees as a pillow and began to rest his head. He did not think it would be this tiring sitting up in a cupboard for about three hours. The boy wondered if anyone would soon come to find him. Perhaps Mary Jane and Estelle would realize that he had been gone for a long time and think to check his room but he highly doubted that. It looked like he would be spending the night in the dark cupboard.

"He must be in here, there's a chair against the door!" L suddenly heard someone say from just outside the door. He opened his eyes to see tiny bits of light seeping through the cracks of the door. He must have fallen asleep at some point but when? The last thing L remembered was thinking about the little mouse that had made its way into the cupboard for shelter sometime around one in the morning.

The cupboard door opened to reveal Mr. Wammy along with Mary Jane, Estelle, Carlisle, and a few other children staring at him. For a moment, L enjoyed the fact that he had to look down at everyone instead of looking up.

"L, what are you doing in here?" Mr. Wammy asked. L just looked down at everyone, his eyes still adjusting to the light. He continued to hold his legs close to his body just as he had done all night.

After giving L a few moments to answer his question (which L still had failed to do), Mr. Wammy reached his arms out to bring the boy down. L hesitated a moment before he allowed Mr. Wammy to bring him back down to ground level. Mary Jane and Estelle were about to speak until Mr. Wammy began to lead L down the corridor. They probably wanted to explain why they had left L in his predicament in the first place.

"This way L," Mr. Wammy said as he took a hold of L's small hand. The two walked silently down the corridors as children ran by. L looked down at the floor, not wanting to look up at Mr. Wammy's occasional glances. He wondered if he was in any sort of trouble for sneaking into Brutus' room. After all, he didn't possess a search warrant at the time. What if this "breaking and entering" incident meant that L would be forced to leave the Wammy House? But Mr. Wammy would never do that. Still, where would he go if he _was_ forced to leave? Questions of paranoia about leaving the Wammy House soon engulfed the little detective's mind.

Mr. Wammy soon led L towards his office. The office. L remembered the first time he had entered Mr. Wammy's office. It was snowing and the air had been bitter cold. He remembered Mr. Wammy leading him down the hall, both of their shoes squeaking from the snow. The memory was a projection flashing in his head. He could remember exactly what he was wearing along with what Mr. Wammy was wearing and even some of the children they met as they passed by. Now he was re-entering the very same room.

Mr. Wammy motioned for L to be seated. It was strange how the first time he had entered this office it felt warm and comforting. Now it felt cold and distant. L looked around and noticed the similarities between the first time he had visited the room and now. He recognized the same picture of Mr. Wammy that rested on his desk.

Mr. Wammy took a seat at his desk. L lifted his legs up and rested them on the edge of the chair just as he had done that night. Mr. Wammy noticed this sudden change of posture but made no notion to ask.

"L do you know why I brought you here?" Mr. Wammy asked.

"Because I broke into Brutus' room without a proper search warrant," L answered.

"No," Mr. Wammy answered though he could not help but to smirk slightly at L's comment, "I am going to be frank L. I am concerned about you and your interaction with the other children at the orphanage. You spent an entire evening in a cupboard."

"I can explain the cupboard incident. Brutus put me in the cupboard because I found the locket that he stole from Mary Jane under his mattress," L said. Mr. Wammy raised an eyebrow at this remark.

"Why would he take Mary Jane's locket?" Mr. Wammy asked.

"I don't know yet but I'm working out the possibilities," L replied and he frowned, "But now I have to find more evidence because Brutus probably moved the locket to a different location."

"I see..." Mr. Wammy said, folding his hands in front of him as he listened to the child's accusations, "How did you arise to this conclusion in the first place?"

"Simple observation similar to what Sherlock Holmes does," L said. He had read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories at least twice. To L, Sherlock Holmes was what most children call an idol or role model. The little detective most likely picked up some of his observant skills from the world famous fictional detective. Mr. Wammy stared down at the boy for a moment only to sigh.

"Alright then, you may leave to get ready for breakfast this morning," Mr. Wammy said. Just as L was about to leave, Mr. Wammy rose from his seat and patted the little boys head. L gave a small smile before leaving Mr. Wammy's office. Mr. Wammy waited a moment before departing from his office as well.

* * *

_The line "that's jumbo shrimp to you" is my original line and is in the process of getting copyrighted XD. You can see Vic Mignogna saying it in my profile or on youtube. _


	3. Break Time

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Anyway, here's the next chapter. There will probably be only one more chapter so enjoy._

* * *

**Chapter Three: Break Time**

L walked down the corridors towards his room. He was not surprised to find that it was empty. Quickly, he took off his clothes and changed into a nice clean black shirt. Fumbling through his drawers, L desperately searched for a clean pair of socks. As he placed his socks on, however, he felt something unusual with his toes. Taking his sock off, L discovered that there was peanut butter covering his foot. Disgusted, he cleaned his foot off using the outside of the sock.

Searching through his drawers once more, L discovered that all of his socks had been filled with peanut butter. No doubt the work of Brutus from the previous night along with his two followers. Instead of putting his dirty socks in the hamper, L decided to discard them. He also made no notion to put his shoes back on and instead walked out of his room barefoot.

"How come you aren't wearing any shoes?" Mary Jane asked as L sat down next to her in his usual seat. L simply shrugged. He did not feel like explaining the peanut butter in his socks incident. For a moment, he wondered why Mary Jane and Estelle were sitting here in the first place. It was not like he was going to abandon the case just because he was shoved in a cupboard for the night.

L looked down at his plate filled with pancakes. He then began to flood his plate with syrup. The syrup drizzled down the pancake mountain similar to a waterfall. L stared at it for a moment before stabbing his fork into the mountain, claiming a big chunk of syrupy goodness.

"Hey L, how come you're sitting like that?" Mary Jane asked. L looked down at his posture. To his surprise, he was sitting the same way he had sat in the cupboard and in Mr. Wammy's office. He waited a moment to swallow his food before answering her question.

"My logic decreases by forty percent if I don't sit like this," L responded.

"Okay...if you say so," Mary Jane said.

"So what did happen last night anyway?" Estelle piped up. Mary Jane looked towards L, awaiting an explanation. L looked at the two, his mouth full of pancakes, and frowned. He really did not wish to explain everything much less find out exactly why the two had ditched him in the first place. He enjoyed having company and being surrounded by other children and he simply did not want to believe that they really had ditched him.

As soon as L had swallowed his food, he began to explain what happened in Brutus' room the previous night in the up most details. He would occasionally pause to take another bite of his breakfast only to continue shortly after. L went into finding the locket under Brutus' mattress only to be caught shortly after as well as his little "jumbo shrimp" comment despite how embarrassing it was now that he thought about it. What had he been thinking that night when he uttered those words?

"We were told to go to our rooms by one of the teachers. But when we came to see you this morning you weren't in your room so we went and got Mr. Wammy," Mary Jane said after L had finished his story. L was quite relieved to hear this news. It would have upset him greatly if he found out he had been ditched. "So Brutus still has my locket?" Mary Jane asked. The boy nodded.

"He moved it no doubt. The questions now are where he hid it and why he took it in the first place. Is there anything you can think of that you might have done to cause him to do this?" L asked. Mary Jane shook her head.

"Not that I can think of. But he's a jerk, what more reason does he need?" Mary Jane said defensively.

"I do not believe he would have taken it for no reason. Being a jerk is no motive that is for certain."

"I guess. You know maybe next time instead of saying how sure you are, you should lie. Like say five percent instead of ninety. That way whoever the suspect is won't see you as that much of a threat," Mary Jane said. L thought about this possibility for a moment and nodded in agreement. "Well we already know who did it so why don't we just take a break for today? All this mystery is just depressing. I know! Let's go play tennis after breakfast," Mary Jane continued.

"Tennis?" L asked.

"Yeah! Why? Haven't you played tennis before?" Mary Jane asked. L shook his head. There had been no one who would offer to play tennis with him before. "Well, today is your lucky day," Mary Jane responded.

**OoOoOoOoOo**

Both L and Mary Jane stepped onto a tennis court holding rackets. L had put on a pair of sneakers but still refused to wear any socks. Estelle stared at the two from the other side of the fence that surrounded the multiple tennis courts. L walked across the green court and towards the other side of the net as Mary Jane bounced the ball against the surface of the court.

"You know how to play, right?" Mary Jane asked from across the court. L nodded, holding his racket in ready position. Mary Jane bounced the ball a few more times before she finally took her serving position.

One moment the ball was in midair waiting for Mary Jane's racket to direct it in the proper direction. The next, the ball was flying towards L. With a swift motion of his hand, the ball went from his side back to Mary Jane's side, just inside the line before it bounced and hit the gate. Estelle jumped a little as the ball looked like it was about to hit her in the face. Mary Jane looked at the ball in disbelief. She then looked angrily towards L.

"Are you sure this is your first time playing tennis?" she asked, about to snap any moment. L simply nodded. "You sure you aren't lying?" Mary Jane continued.

"No one has ever asked me to play tennis before," L answered quietly. Feeling guilty, Mary Jane suddenly smirked as to not hurt L's feelings.

"Well no wonder why, you're good at it," she said.

"I guess," L replied.

Much to Estelle's surprise, the two fought vigorously in their tennis match. Both were naturally gifted in the sport despite this being L's first time playing. Estelle was not surprised, however, once she remembered that they were in an orphanage for talented and gifted children. In the end, L came out victorious but only winning by a small margin.

"You know, you should go pro," Mary Jane said, panting.

"Maybe," L responded.

Before the two could continue their conversation, the bell, signifying what time it was, rang. This was also the same bell that meant it was time for lunch. The two exited the tennis court and, along with Estelle, began to walk towards the orphanage. Along the way, L was able to catch of glimpse of Brutus walking by, looking angrier than ever. There was no doubt he had received some sort of punishment for the previous night's events.

"Not eating again, L?" Mary Jane asked, eyeing L's full plate full of spinach salad. L shook his head. He simply twirled his fork around the carrots, croutons, and other parts of the salad. "I still don't understand why you don't eat normal food," Mary Jane continued her little lecture, "It's bad for you. Look at Pop-Eye. He gets stronger every time he eats his spinach."

"Pop-Eye is a cartoon character," L protested.

"If spinach wasn't as healthy as it is, they wouldn't make Pop-Eye eat it," Mary Jane argued.

"I'm not eating spinach because some cartoon character does," L said flatly.

"But you should," Mary Jane said.

"But I won't."

"Why are you so pessimistic?" Mary Jane asked.

"Why are you so optimistic?" L questioned.

"I'm just trying to save you from diabetic and other health problems you're going to have by continuing your twenty four hour sweet tooth."

"Sugar keeps me awake, thus giving me more hours to think," L said.

"What do you need to think for? We're ten!" Mary Jane exclaimed, "Maybe you should try being a kid for once in your life and eat your stupid spinach like every other ten year old." L was about to say something but then stopped. He could not think of anything to say as a come back. Why did he act so mature for his age? Why did he not usually enjoy the simple pleasures that ten year olds experience? L began to ponder these questions as he looked down at his salad. He still was not going to eat that no matter how hard Mary Jane tried. However, maybe he could start acting like everyone else but what was the point? He never really could grasp what everyone else was thinking. But maybe he could try. He had to admit spending these few hours with Mary Jane and Estelle made him feel like a normal boy, someone with normal friends and a normal life. However L knew his life was far from normal. Ten years old, and he was already an orphan with hardly any friends. What kind of life was that?

"L? L..." Mary Jane said, waving her hand in front of his eyes. He quickly blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry," Mary Jane said, feeling guilty.

"No, of course not," L immediately said shaking his head. "I apologize for my behavior. I was simply pondering Brutus' possible motives," he lied.

"Oh," Mary Jane sighed, disappointed in L's eloquent phrasing.

"Well Brutus _is_mean," Estelle said, finally entering the conversation, "The first day I came here he broke my favorite bow for my violin. And just yesterday, right before we came here to dinner, I had to go back to our room because he got mud all over my shirt!"

"As I said, being rude is not a satisfying motive," L stated.

"If you say so L," Mary Jane said. L simply nodded and there was nothing left to discuss.

The rest of the day continued to drag on. The three friends continued to keep each other occupied however L seemed to be out of focus the entire time. He was clearly thinking about the case the entire day and it tormented him that he just could not discover a motive. It did not seem to fit. He was missing a very key point in this case but what it was he could not figure out.

"Hey L, can you do me a favor?" Mary Jane asked. The three were now swinging together on the swings. L sat on his usual swing, clearly in deep thought. However, he did look up as Mary Jane asked her question.

"What is it?" L asked. Was he not already attempting to search for her lost locket? What more favors were in store for him?

"You know you don't have to be so worked up about this. It's starting to scare me. You've barely spoken the rest of the day."

"I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing!" Mary Jane exclaimed. L kept his mouth shut and looked back towards the orphanage.

"Yes, well, we should probably go back inside. It's getting rather bleak outside, don't you think?" L asked. Mary Jane and Estelle nodded in agreement as they looked up at the dark sky. The three walked silently back to the orphanage.


	4. Motive

_So yes, this is the last chapter in this story. I enjoyed writing this one very much. Probably one of my favorites (not that I've written a lot of fan fictions to begin with but this definitely goes in the top two). Thank you for all of your reviews and ...enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Motive**

The young detective lay across his bed in his room. Carlisle was doing the same on the bed across from him. He must have been very bored since normally Carlisle tried to avoid L at all costs. Carlisle simply had nothing to do on account that it had started raining again along with some thunder and lightning. The two wondered when this rain would come to an end or if it would ever end.

"Hey L," Carlisle finally said. L turned his pitch black eyes towards his roommate with interest. "You're looking for Mary Jane's locket, right?" Carlisle asked. Little L nodded in the affirmative. "Well I just wanted to let you know, Brutus didn't take it."

L did not speak about this new information. He merely stared at Carlisle for a moment, attempting to see if he could find any hint of faltering in Carlisle's face. But the boy looked at him with honest eyes. Either Carlisle truly believed Brutus was innocent or Brutus was not the criminal in this case.

"How do you know?" L asked with interest.

"Because he went back to the art room to finish his painting last night. Ms. Doyle said he could and would save his dessert for him," Carlisle explained. L nodded as he soaked in the information. Well, it certainly made sense to why there was no motive. However, it did not make sense to the fact that L found the locket under his mattress last night. Unless some one had framed Brutus to clear their own name which was entirely possible. But how could he be sure?

"Even if Brutus did not take the locket, he still moved it," L finally said. There was no doubt about that. He had to move it in order to avoid punishment. Where was the question and who was the true criminal in this case? Perhaps L needed to go and speak with Ms. Doyle on the matter.

**OoOoOoOoOoOo**

Walking down the corridors late at night in the middle of a thunderstorm made the entire orphanage seem like a completely different place. It even caused L to use his imagination a bit. Normally, he never used that part of the brain that allowed children to dream and imagine castles, kidnapped princesses, daring heroes, dragons, fairies, and other fairy tale creatures that existed in the small mind of children. However, L could not help but to imagine that he was in some sort of dungeon in a complex castle as lightning streaked across the windows followed by the roar of thunder. He had to be brave for he was the princess's knight in shining armor and he just had to find her missing heirloom. If he did not succeed, how was he ever going to win "fair lady's heart"?

L slowly opened the door to the dark dinning hall. Half expecting to see a fire breathing dragon, he slowly crept along the tables hoping to find Ms. Doyle. He kept thinking to himself that it was pointless to pretend about this sort of thing. It was not like dragons and fairies were real to begin with. What had he been thinking?

_Maybe you should try being a kid for once in your life..._

Those words seemed to echo in the back of L's mind. Perhaps he should take Mary Jane's advice and act like a child once in a while. Who knows maybe he would enjoy it. He enjoyed the idea of being a hero, a symbol of justice. That is right: he _was_ justice and he could not wait until he received his next case however big or small it may be.

The sudden brightness in the dark room startled L for a moment. He quickly turned in all directions, panicked. To his relief, he saw Ms. Doyle standing by the kitchen door. Her crystal blue eyes looked down at him with affection.

"L? What are you doing out here so late?" Ms. Doyle asked.

"Ms. Doyle, I need to ask you a question," L said.

"Oh? Well what is it?"

"Did you allow Brutus to leave the dining hall early last night so he could finish a painting of some sort and promise him his dessert when he returned?" L asked.

"Yes," Ms. Doyle nodded, "Why?"

"He is a suspect in the crime against stealing Mary Jane's locket," L answered. Ms. Doyle laughed slightly at his comment.

"I don't think he took Mary Jane's locket L. Sometimes he acts a bit tough but that doesn't make him a bad kid."

"He placed me in a cupboard an entire night," L said flatly.

"Some children react differently when they lose their parents," Ms. Doyle answered. She smiled and patted his head lightly. L smiled back weakly. The boy was about to depart in order to possibly find more clues until Ms. Doyle took his hand and began to lead him towards the kitchen.

"I'm sure you'll want some brain food," she explained. The kitchen was much bigger than he anticipated it to be. It looked as though the kitchen belonged to a five star restaurant. The only part of the kitchen that seemed to give a homey feeling to it was a small table and chair that was placed near one of the many sinks. L took his seat at the small table resting his feet against the edge of the chair, crouching over the edge of the table. Ms. Doyle remained silent as she placed a small cupcake from that night's dessert in front of him. L immediately began to devour the tiny cupcake.

"I swear L, one of these days you are going to gain a lot of weight from eating sweets so much," Ms. Doyle said, shaking her head in disapproval at herself for providing the cupcake in the first place.

"Estelle claims it is due to my high metabolism," L replied as he began to lick the paper cupcake holder for any crumbs.

"Maybe it's because you think too much," Ms. Doyle offered. L shrugged at this comment though he enjoyed this theory much more than the other one.

"Ms. Doyle, do you know where Brutus would hide the locket if he had it?" L asked.

"In his room but that doesn't matter since he didn't do it," Ms. Doyle said as she now handed him a glass of milk. L placed his finger to the tip of his lips to think for a moment before he took a sip of the milk that had been provided for him. He was missing a very key part in this case but what he did not know.

After finishing his milk, L sighed from both the fact he had no leads and from the fullness the milk had provided for him. The tiny detective even managed to yawn drowsily. Even great minds have their limits and L had finally reached his for the day. Ms Doyle promptly took the cup of milk from the boy and placed it in a sink. She then picked him up, for he was surprisingly very light, and began to bring him to his room.

L's eyes immediately closed as soon as his head rested on Ms. Doyle's shoulder. He normally did not like it when he was treated like a child but he guessed he could make an exception. All children, at some point or another, need a parent's love in their lives. L could not remember the last time he had felt a mother's love before but he supposed this was close enough. He stirred slightly in Ms. Doyle's arms at the remembrance of his own mother and the painful memories it brought back. Could he even remember his parents anymore? L wondered if his mother ever sung him a lullaby or perhaps told him stories about the dragons, fairies, princesses, and knights in shining armor. Maybe he would find out some day and if not maybe he could experience those sorts of memories again with someone else. But who would ever want to adopt him? L clearly was not like any of the normal children. For all he knew, he could end up spending his childhood alone. Mr. Wammy and Ms. Doyle were the closest things he had to parents.

L was half asleep when he felt Ms. Doyle placing him gently in his bed. A brief kiss on the forehead was the last thing the young boy remembered before drifting off to a peaceful sleep, something he had not experienced for a very long time.

_I didn't steal any locket._

_Why would he take Mary Jane's locket?_

_The first day I came here he broke my favorite bow for my violin. And just yesterday, right before we came here to dinner, I had to go back to our room because he got mud all over my shirt!_

_Because he went back to the art room to finish his painting last night. Ms. Doyle said he could and would save his dessert for him._

_He placed me in a cupboard an entire night._

"Mr. Wammy," L said as he knocked on the door to Mr. Wammy's office, "May I come in?"

"L? Yes of course," Mr. Wammy's voice could be heard from the other side of the door. Little L poked his head from the other side of the door and walked in. Mr. Wammy motioned for L to take a seat in front of his desk just as he had done the previous day. "Is something wrong L?" Mr. Wammy asked.

"No, I wanted to do this properly. May I have a search warrant for Brutus' room?" the little detective asked. Mr. Wammy began to chuckle at the young boy's request.

"I'm afraid I don't have any search warrants on me at the moment," Mr. Wammy answered, "But I believe it will be alright if I accompany you to his room." Mr. Wammy stood up from his desk and the two left his office for Brutus' room. Along the way, L motioned for Mr. Wammy to halt for a moment.

"We need to get Mary Jane and Estelle too," L explained.

"Yes of course," Mr. Wammy said. It was only a moment before L had acquired his two friends that the four were soon in Brutus' room. L stood in the center of the room, ready to present his case. Just as he was about to start, Brutus' jeers could be heard from just down the hall.

"Why is everyone in my room?" Brutus nearly snapped but was wise enough to maintain some self control in the presence of Mr. Wammy. Charlie and Chester did not dare to say a word. L waited patiently for Mr. Wammy to keep Brutus quiet as he scratched his bare foot with his other foot.

"L, please begin," Mr. Wammy finally said. L nodded and motioned to the tiny cupboard in Brutus' room.

"Mary Jane's locket should be up there somewhere. I realized that he would have probably re-hid it someplace that I could not reach." Mr. Wammy walked towards the location that L was pointing to. Within moments he pulled out Mary Jane's gold locket. She smiled brightly at the little trinket as Mr. Wammy handed it to her.

"Mr. Mason you have quite a bit of explaining to do," Mr. Wammy said.

"Oh, Brutus didn't take it Mr. Wammy," L replied, "He only re-hid it so no one would find it and charge him of the crime. The real culprit is Estelle."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!" Estelle exclaimed.

"But it explains everything," L said, "You said yourself that you didn't like him for breaking your violin bow. You took Mary Jane's locket and slipped it under his mattress when you went to go back and change your shirt. It was easy for you to find it in the first place since you two share a room and that would explain why Brutus had no idea with what I was talking about last night. It was a setup from the beginning: to get Brutus in trouble. I do not have any proof of this of course but I think it is best that you confess."

"Estelle, is this true?" Mr. Wammy asked the little girl. She nodded in dismay. "I see," Mr. Wammy said. He then turned towards L and patted his head. "Well done Mr. Lawliet. Now, Estelle, I think you should come to my office." Estelle sighed and began to walk with Mr. Wammy towards his office. She knew that there was no point in denying it any longer.

Mary Jane placed the locket around her neck. She then wrapped her arms around the detective. L's body immediately tensed at this gesture.

"Thank you L," she said.

"Uhh...you're welcome," L replied awkwardly. Hinting at his discomfort, Mary Jane let go.

"Hey come on L, let's go ask Carlisle to play Cluedo with us," Mary Jane said.

"Cluedo?" L asked.

"Uh-huh. It'll help you practice on solving murder mysteries. You know so you can become a detective," Mary Jane said. L simply shrugged and followed his little playmate out of Brutus' room thus ending the detective's case.

_**The Memories that Pass us By**_

L checked the small clock in the corner of his computer screen. Two twenty five the clock read. He sighed. Another day with no leads to solve the Kira Case. How much longer was this going to last? He stabbed his fork into a piece of chocolate cake with little enthusiasm. As he shoved the piece into his mouth he glared at the handcuff that encircled his wrist. Something else he wished would come to an end soon. He knew however, that it was a precaution to ensure his own safety and the safety of others.

"Hey Ryuzaki may I ask you something?" Light said to break the silence. L turned to face his captive, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Ask away though I cannot make any promises that I will be able to answer it," L said. Light stared at him for a moment, as though this was another challenge. His expression soon changed, however, to one filled with curiosity.

"What was your first case?" Light asked the world famous detective. L did not answer for a moment and Light could tell that above the bags due to lack of sleep his eyes now showed intensity.

"My first case was for a little orphan girl. It was a very simple case. Her name was Mary Jane," L answered.

"Was? Did something happen to her?" Light asked. The detective paused for a moment unsure if he should answer that question.

"She was adopted about a year after I solved her case. At age fifteen, she was murdered. I don't think I need to explain the details of the case," L replied, his voice showing no hint of emotion even though it was a painful memory. One he did not like to remember.

"Is that why you became a detective?" Light asked.

"Now that is something I cannot answer," L said. He knew these sorts of questions were leading to even more personal questions, ones he did not wish to discuss. Light did not want to press the matter any further and the two continued their research in silence.


End file.
